Blind
by MissTentenChan
Summary: It's my first story. Tenten gets mistaken for somebody else, looses her sight and Neji takes care of her. REVAMPED AND COMPLETE. NejiTen.
1. Chapter 1

It's an edit of my first chapter with some new information. I did change some plot stuff to make it less OMG! That's OOC!! And slow down the relationship for the same reasons. I must have been on crack when I wrote this. Nonetheless, I don't own Naruto. If I did, Naruto and Sasuke wouldn't be afraid of showing their gayness (which according to spell check, is a word).

A blazing sun beat down upon all of Konoha and it seemed as though the only liquification in the area was the sweat dripping from every being brave enough to venture outside. Lately it seemed as though the town was full of vampires, only willing to exit the safety of their air conditioned homes at night. Unlike most sane people, and I emphasize "Sane," Team Gai would rather melt then become weak from lack of training. Gai-sensai simply said that training under uncomfortable conditions built character. Neji and Tenten were training, as always and while Tenten gasped at the dry air for any sign of comfort, Neji stood stoic as always and seemingly unfazed.

Our stubborn kunoichi was obviously irritated by his ice cold personality even when the sun so angrily released its wrath upon the pair. Still, prideful more than anything, Tenten refused to ask for a break. She was getting tired and even more pissed at the white-eyed teammate and began making more unorganized attacks, from no planned series of points. Obviously she wasn't the only one being careless because when Tenten sliced at Neji's chest he stepped back to avoid and the almighty Neji tripped on a root making him fall onto his back.

Tenten stood absolutely motionless, her arm still extended before her with the weapon clenched tightly in her fingers. Dead silence filled the circle of trees after the dull thud of Neji's rear end colliding with the ground below for a few painful moments until Tenten released the kunai (which fell harmlessly to the ground) and clutched her sides in uncontrolled laughter.

"So this is the magnificent Neji? Undefeated by anyone except Naruto-kun…and a root," She teased him as she walked over to him. Neji glared at her and moved his foot pressing to the backs of her knees when her back was turned and her eyes closed as she uselessly attempted to stop her laughter. Her knees buckled beneath her and she landed ungracefully lying her back across him with a grunt.

"That's for teasing me," Neji said with his trademark smirk, not wanting to give away that his act had caused him more pain than her. Tenten casually pushed herself up so she was now sitting on his stomach sidesaddle and leaned against her arm propped up on his chest. The girl continued light giggles and when Neji asked what was so funny, she simply shook her head and continued laughing, harder.

Realizing that they were technically still engaged in their sparring match, Neji was ready to claim his victory and head home for a long hot shower. He reached his arm up behind her back and swiftly shoved her over onto her stomach flat on the ground, with him on her back, twisting both arms uncomfortably so her hands rested between her shoulder blades. At last, the high pitched sound of laughter was gone.

Neji bent forward so his head was by her shoulder and whispered his trademark phrase,

"I win," he said as he turned his head towards hers, feeling her bun on his cheek. He nonchalantly noticed how soft her hair was before sitting back up abruptly, shoving the thought from his mind.

A low growl emitted from Tenten's throat as she realized that he had left 2 very important limbs unpinned. She felt him sit back up straight, still holding her arms and upper body solidly. She kicked up her legs and hooked her ankles around his neck and pulled him backwards, taking her chance to pull free when he was startled and loosened his grip. She stood up as she grasped the discarded kunai from before and held it dangling over his chest.

"You should know better than to be cocky," she warned him, glaring intently at the figure she loathed so much but loved so much more. She spun the kunai lazily around her finger before sliding it back into her pouch and glancing skyward when she realized how faint her shadow now was.

"It's late. I'm going home. Night Neji," She stated simply in a tone that dared even the Hyuuga prodigy to question her decision. She hadn't realized how dark it had gotten and how much her muscles were screaming at her until she paused to listen. She turned around and left the fields without another word.

Neji turned his head and watched her leave, allowing his mind to wander again in the silence. It fell upon her again as he questioned how she could have such perfect skin after all the brutal torture both he and she put it through on a daily basis. He shook his head and told himself that he just needed sleep, lots and lots of sleep. He propped himself up on his elbows and took one stolen glance at the spot where Tenten had disappeared into the forest before rising himself and trudging home.

Arriving home, he showered quickly and flopped on his bed, immediately falling into a deep slumber that he didn't even know he craved.

Perhaps far too soon for his liking, he found himself being roughly yanked from his bed and tumbling to the ground wrapped in his sheets. He sat up immediately after hitting his wooden floor and, ramming his head into his nightstand on the way up, found a certain kunoichi standing next to him with her hands on her hips. He sent a glare at her as she just gave him a you-know-you're-not-really-going-to-do-anything-to-me look. He huffed a sigh; she knew him too well.

He looked at her, his eyes asking what she wanted. Tenten knew exactly what he was asking but gave him a confused look anyway. Great, so she's being difficult. He was still in his morning haze and sported a splitting headache, so he simply asked her.

"What do you want?" He normally would have been more polite, but she wasn't so why should he? Yes, even the most skilled shinobi can act like two-year-olds.

"Mission," She said simply. That one word was enough to get Neji to yank his arms and upper body free of the binding sheets. Tenten stared at him for a good ten seconds before he noticed her expression and looked down to find himself topless. Had he been any guy without self restraint, he would have yanked the sheet back up to his neck, but he was Neji after all, and couldn't do that so he just looked back at her as if he was unfazed. Tenten casually turned as an act of respect (that conveniently hid her blushing cheeks from him as she felt the heat rise to them.

"What do we have to do?" Neji said from behind her back as she heard the sound of clothes falling and being pulled on.

"We…um…it's…a…protection- Are you seriously changing right behind me?" Tenten asked randomly. Before he could answer, there was a knock on his door and he walked around her (she was facing the door) fully clothed.

"Yes?" Neji answered the knock, not really ashamed of having Tenten in his room, just not really wanting to deal with the rumors that would ensue. The servants were regular gossips.

"Sir, breakfast is ready," a servant called from the other side.

"I have a mission, so don't wait for me," Neji snapped, annoyed that he got interrupted from his little game of wits with Tenten.

"Sir, have you seen Miss Hinata? Nobody's seen her since last night" The servant asked.

"Uh, yeah. She's in here with me." Neji replied, fully knowing she was on a full-night "training" session with Shikamaru, her new inspiration.

"Very well, sir," and the servant's footsteps drifted into the distance. There was a rustle in the tree outside the window. Tenten turned just in time to see a shadow drift away. She brushed it off as a crazy squirrel or something.

Tenten stood there tapping her foot until Neji turned around and gave her his full and undivided attention. She jerked her head towards his window before opening it and climbing out, seeming extremely impatient.

"Women…" Neji grumbled under his breath before collecting his equipment in his backpack jumping out the window after her. Apparently he had taken far longer than he thought or she had purposefully taken off to make him find her. Neji rolled his eyes and left for the training grounds, where they always met before a mission.

At the Training Grounds before Neji gets there.

Neji was completely correct in his assumption, because in the center of the clearing stood Tenten, hip cocked to the side with her hand on it, in the trademark "I'm tired of waiting for you" pose. She clearly heard footsteps behind her but wanting to make him come all the way up to her or (heaven forbid) actually use words to get her attention, she didn't move. A second later, and a second too late, she realized the chakra wasn't familiar, or friendly. Tenten was waiting for Neji. She heard footsteps behind her. She pretended not to hear, thinking it was Neji and not wanting to seem anxious.

When 4 shuriken imbedded themselves into her back, she really wished she had paid attention more and cared less about the little game of who-can-annoy-the-other-more. Tenten fell to the ground in agony as the well-placed weapons hit acupuncture points along her spine that, at least temporarily, made her lose feeling in her legs. She was pushed onto her back by a ninja in all black. He sat upon her to keep her from moving and the shuriken sunk deeper into her back tearing at the flesh.

Tenten saw bright bolts of light in front of her eyes as she struggled to get free.

"Don't move little girl. We won't hurt you. We only want your eyes," The ninja said but abruptly stopped when another figure approached and slapped him upside the head.

"You idiot! How could you make such a careless mistake! It's not her! Look at the eyes!" Tenten heard the voice as though it was miles away. "Kill her." The voice added and she felt more metal tear her skin as a kunai lodged itself in her abdomen as her stomach's new neighbor. The figures both scurried away as they felt the same chakra, that she did—Neji. Tenten let herself let go of consciousness as she heard him call her name.

"Tenten, what are you doing on the floor—oh shit!" He yelled. Neji ran to her and saw the blood staining the grass from her back and her shirt from her stomach. He lightly shook her shoulders to wake her, but with no response, her lifted her and moved faster than he ever did before as he bolted back to the village hospital.

Hope you liked it better than before. I know it could still use more work; it always could, but at least it's better. I'll fix the other chapters and update. And I really mean it this time!


	2. Chapter 2

I hope that me posting before a year of absence doesn't cause massive coronaries. I felt like writing, so this is what came of it. Enjoy

And again, I emphasize that I don't own Naruto. If I did, Tenten would have a last name.

-

Tenten felt her senses begin to return to her and began to see the reddish glow of light coming through her closed eyelids. The painful intrusion from the darkness made her wonder if this was the classic white light you see after death. The thought was shot down by the recognizable hospital smell that attacked her second sense. Had she not been so thrilled about the fact that she wasn't dead, the overly clean and chemical-filled scent would have repulsed her.

An involuntary spasm caused by awakening muscles informed her that not only was she not alone in the room, but another being was holding her hand. A weight lifted from her bed as the other person rose from their hunched sleeping position.

"Tenten?" Neji's newly awake voice warmed Tenten's straining ears in the creepy silence. She wanted to tell him she was alright, but her voice faltered and turned out as a soft groan. Unable to communicate by sound, she opened her eyes—he could always read her when she needed him to.

Tenten blinked fiercely a few times before shooting up to a seated position. She soon regretted it as blood rapidly rushed away from her head and she swayed in her seat. Open eyes are usually connected to viewing of images, lights and colors. Tenten was sure she wasn't brain damaged enough to have imagined all that up.

She was sure something was drastically wrong with her as she met darkness with opened eyes. There were no shadows or alterations in the flat, black color. Any normal darkness had shapes, little pinpoints of light, movements, anything. The abnormal darkness would have frightened anybody, but knowing that you SHOULD be seeing, seemed to make it worse. The kunoichi was sure that she had seen light through her eyelids and firmly shut them once more, but even that glow was gone. She was completely and utterly blind.

Neji, who had been surprised by her sudden awake-ness and instant quick reflexes and mobility realized that she might be confused by the situation and maybe talking would be good.

"Tenten?" he began hesitantly. It annoyed Tenten that he kept saying her name, she was right there and blind, not deaf. "You were attacked while waiting in the forest. You were hit with 4 shuriken down your spine but they all missed your spinal chord. The force of hitting your head against the ground and a loss of blood caused you to pass out and stay unconscious for three days. You are in Konoha hospital and Sakura-san, your friend, is your doctor. How are you feeling?"

Tenten would have rolled her eyes if she was not afraid of not being able to do that. He was talking to her as if she was two years old. She knew what happened and even knew who her friends were.

"Neji?" she asked just as slowly and stupidly as she looked in his direction. He hn'd in acknowledgement and squeezed her hand that was still connected to his. "I remember what happened and recognize where I am. I even remember who I am and who my friends are. Physically, I feel just fine, except for the fact that I'm blind."

Tenten was never one to deal properly and thought that denial would be best right now. They'd fix her, she knew that. They had to. She was a ninja and had a duty in this town. They wouldn't let her just stay useless like this. Neji didn't take things like this so lightly.

She felt the hand rip from hers as two strong hands firmly gripped her by her shoulders and she felt Neji's breath against her face as he stared at her eyes. He had probably activated the Byakugan to take a look at the damage himself.

One of Neji's hands left Tenten's shoulder and a soft buzzing sound temporarily filled the room as Neji called for Tenten's doctor. Neji said nothing and the room fell into another awkward silence as they waited a few minutes for Sakura's arrival. Her shrilly excited voice soon irritated Tenten's sensitive ears as her overjoyed friend burst into the room.

"Tenten-chan! You're awake!!" she cried as she nearly glomped the bedridden girl. She instantly felt Tenten's body tense in shock and Neji's protective gaze shoot to Tenten.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked as she slipped very quickly into doctor-mode at the intensity of the mood in the room. Tenten felt weight again rise off the bed and a sudden emptiness in her room as Neji took Sakura to the hall to talk to her. Whatever Neji had seen, it wasn't good and chances were, Sakura could do nothing for her. Not yet, at least, Tenten was still very sure that they'd fix her soon.

Tenten flopped back on her bed and closed her eyes. At least when they were closed, she didn't expect to see anything. The door quietly slid open and the sound of Neji's soft steps reached Tenten's ears. Sakura's clicking heels were absent so she was probably still in the hall.

"Sakura just needs to take some routine tests for your vitals and you can be released. Your sight deficiencies are caused by outside sources and can only be fixed by those outside sources," Neji confirmed Tenten's suspicions. He was completely official again and seemed to regain that calm demeanor he ALWAYS had. It bugged Tenten but she remained silent and only gave a slight nod of her head to show that she was even awake. He had almost shown her emotion, but it was already gone. When she heard Neji move to get Sakura, she decided to stop being stubborn.

"Hey, Neji, could you stay in here with her and tell me what she's doing?" Tenten asked in a meek voice that was very uncharacteristic of her. She never asked for help and really never absolutely _needed_ it, not like now. She was beginning to feel very useless and anxious for the cure. Neji seemed understanding and hn'd and quickly got Sakura, moving as if he was now afraid of leaving the room for too long.

Neji calmly recited all that Sakura did as she took blood and checked all of the readings from the monitors before signing Tenten's release form. Only after she left the room did Tenten try to move. She wanted as few people as possible seeing her fumbling and crashing around the room. She sat upright and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, using her bare feet and small, slow steps to maneuver her way around the room.

Only when she nearly crashed into a dangerous and expensive-looking piece of equipment did Neji step forward and protectively embrace her. He wasn't one for comforting. Tenten wasn't one who usually got injured on missions; she was reserved and cautious. Lee always was rash and got hurt, but Tenten was a girl and Neji wouldn't feel right laughing at her for inadequacies. Tenten allowed him to hold her but wouldn't break down. It wasn't something she did, not yet.

"I'll arrange to have you stay at the manor until I can figure this out and fix your eyes, is that ok?" Neji posed it as a question, but nothing in his voice allowed her to think she had a choice. She had no desire to contradict his request and return to an empty apartment with overly sharpened weapons adorning all of her walls. She wasn't _that_ masochistic.

Neji walked Tenten back to the bed and pressed a change of clean clothes into her lap.

"I had Hinata get some clothes for you. I figured she would be better at that kind of stuff. I'll turn around while you change, I promise," Neji needlessly said. Tenten trusted him enough to know that he respected her and wasn't a peeping tom. She awkwardly changed, but eventually managed to get all of her limbs into the right places after trying to fit her head through a sleeve and putting her sweatshirt on as pants. As soon as she told Neji that he could turn around, he was at her side, holding one of her hands and securing her body to his with an arm around her shoulders.

He led her out of the hospital at nearly a normal pace, whispering who or what they passed into her ear. Tenten was surprised by his intimateness and was actually enjoying it. She didn't realize her blush until they were outside in the cool air and Neji asked if she felt feverish. Tenten shook her head and angled her face down, staying that way all the way to the Hyuuga compound.

Tenten inhaled the familiar scent of the gardens that surrounded the branch portion of the Hyuuga household. As the smell changed to a redwood forest-y, but pleasant smell, Tenten recognized Neji's room aloud before he even told her where they were. At Neji's door way, he placed Tenten's hands on the wall and led her to the bathroom and her room, right next door to his, so she could maneuver those rooms on her own, should she need to.

Hinata's soft and kindly welcoming voice met Tenten in her room.

"Tenten-sama, it's v-very good t-to see you on y-your feet. I-I'm here t-to h-help," she managed to stutter out.

"Will you help her dress for dinner with your father?" Neji asked Hinata before turning to Tenten and explaining that the family was required to attend three formal dinners every week. Tenten smirked in acceptance and at the aggravation filling Neji's words. She let go of him and held out her hand towards where she had heard Hinata's words agreeing to help.

"Thank you, Hinata-chan," She said warmly and felt contact with Hinata's skin as the younger girl took Tenten's hand. "We've got it from her Neji-kun" she informed him and he reluctantly left the girls. He knew that females had a tendency to scheme and though he'd never admit it, it frightened him. He was lucky this time, as the girls avoided all scheming due to a time restriction.

Tenten felt the most grateful all night when Hinata led her to a shower and gave her a towel. Days of unconsciousness and shower-less time after being on the forest floor does stuff to any hygienic girl.

Fully cleaned, Tenten returned to Hinata who had already gotten herself dressed. Tenten recognized the pathway to her room and hearing the swish of Hinata's kimono, realized that she would too have to wear one and groaned. She was proven correct as Hinata helped layer her with the multiple parts of the fancy dress. Hinata then dried Tenten's hair and pinned back the front. Tenten had never felt so _girly_ in all of her life. She thanked the sweet heiress for all of her help but had to bid her farewell because the main house had to be present before the branch house showed up to dinner. Something about not trusting the branch house alone.

Tenten felt along the hallway to Neji's room and crashed straight into him as he turned around from having closed his door. Upon seeing his Tenten all prettied up, some part of him was thankful for the blindness that hid his very literal jaw drop. He managed to form coherent words long enough to tell her that she looked stunning before placing a guiding hand on her waist and holding her hand across his body with his other hand.

Entering the dining hall, Tenten never before felt the intensity of the white eyes as she did now. Not even Neji's Byakugan eyes looking right into hers during a heated spar were as intimidating as having an entire household stare at you and not even being able to see them. Tenten vowed to have a staring contest with them when she got her sight back.

Tenten thought she knew what to expect at family dinners since she had been invited to ones with Sakura and Ino, but why would the Hyuugas ever be what you expect. At he Haruno and Yamanaka households, people talked, laughed—heck they were alive. Here the only noises were chopsticks against plates…and the loud clank of Tenten nearly upturning her glass with a bump of her hand. Still, she felt like she was the only one who felt awkward with the silence. Did the Hyuugas hold another bloodline of telepathy that Neji had never told her about? Right now, it seemed likely.

Dinner was over soon enough and Neji led Tenten away with dozens of eyes following them again. Neji led her to his room where he changed from whatever formal attire he was uncomfortably stuffed in.

"Is it always that…quiet?" Tenten asked, seemingly oblivious that the male in the same room as her was half-naked.

"I guess it is, but you just get used to it after a while. Besides it's better if some of those people just keep their mouths shut. Permanently." Neji huffed and walked back to her. "As comfortable as you look all dressed up, I thought I'd ask if you were ready to change."

Tenten was about to fake loving the clothes, but feeling Neji's change of cloth on his arms just realized that he had completely changed right there.

"Did you just…? Are you? Do you know I'm Still a GIRL!?!" she nearly yelled. Neji, being a boy, had no clue what she was talking about and thought that this was all about her kimono.

"Hey, if you want to keep it on, that's your business, but there are silk pajamas waiting in your room for you," he taunted her.

Tenten huffed but had she not been who she was, there may have been squealing and jumping for joy at the prospect of getting out of the dress. Instead Tenten held a mental parade and simply nodded on the outside and led the way along the wall to her room.

After pressing a silky pants and shirt pj set into Tenten's hands, Neji opted to wait in the hallway as she changed. How much damage could she cause just changing in a large open space next to a very squishy and safe bed? Neji shook his head and refused to actually think of the many different ways Tenten would find to injure herself.

As Tenten felt he soft sleeves slip down her arms to her fingertips, she decided she could definitely get used to this kind of lifestyle. When she was finished, Neji poked his head into her room to ask if there was anything she wanted to do or needed. She declined, looking forward to some voluntary sleep. Maybe, just maybe, she would wake up and be back in her room scheming against Neji the day before she got her mission assignment. Maybe.

Tenten laid back against numerous pillows and found it lightly amusing that if she didn't pay attention, she couldn't' tell if her eyes were open or closed. She heard Neji moving around in his room on the other side of the wall behind her head. He soon stopped and laid still in meditation or sleep. The silence soon pushed Tenten to give into sleepy-ness.

_She was giggling in Neji's room as she prepared to pull him boldly from his bed. She hadn't awoken him immediately, but enjoyed the sight of his peacefully sleeping form. It was strange to see him like that because he was always on guard. She took a mental image of his vulnerable state, reached for his sheets that he was wrapped in, and pulled. _

_She was in the clearing waiting for him. She was going over their assignment in her head, but her thoughts kept flashing to Neji asleep. She was distracted. _

_She was on her back, pinned down by a stranger. Her arms were glued to her sides by the strong legs clamped around her torso. She felt violated with a male that she didn't even know sitting over her like that. _

_She was looking into eyes of pure evil that stared down with nothing but absolute hatred. She thrashed against him; she had to do ANYTHING to get away. Panic rose in her as he didn't even shift. She was a ninja and wasn't supposed to let somebody like him lay his hands or weapons upon her. But she was defenseless here. _

_He slapped her. The buckles on his sleeves cut her cheek and lip. He put a hand around her throat and pressed down-hard. _

"_You fucking bitch. You got me in a lot of trouble and like hell I'll let your get away with getting me punished. Such a pretty little bitch could cause such a big problem. I'll get you and then I'll get my mark. You'll beg me to kill you like I'll kill her," he sneered, tightening his grip on her throat so no air could get through and holding it before disappearing completely. _

Tenten jolted awake with a scream, looking around the room uselessly. Her door flew open and she yelped again.

"It's ok, it's me," Neji's voice said as he sat down next to her on the bed. Tenten reached up and felt blood on her lip and just let go. She finally allowed herself the much needed break-down. She could no longer take care of herself, couldn't recognize anything or anybody and wasn't even safe in her own dreams. She was the one thing she hated most, weak. She cried.

She fell against Neji's chest when he wrapped his arms around hr. To him, it was his fault. HE didn't follow soon enough. He had started their little game. She could have died and it would have been his fault. He blamed himself. He cradled her head under his chin and stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."


	3. Chapter 3

Ok so I think this chapter sounds a little forced, like I'm pushing the plot to a place it's not supposed to be at yet, so I'm just getting it out of my system and leaving it until I can fix it at a later date. Please bear with me.

Again, I don't own Naruto. If I did certain characters wouldn't be so damn hard to draw!

-

Tenten groggily rolled her head against the firm source of heat that she was so comfortably curled up against. She took a deep breath of air to fill her body with the extra oxygen that an awoken body needs compared to her sleeping form. Tenten couldn't help but smile at the familiar scent that she was met with and immediately her eyes shot open. Of course, it was only a reflexive action, she still saw absolutely nothing.

Tenten moved her fingers against the chest that her palm was pressed against and realized very quickly that there was another body in her bed. At the sudden motion, the other body began to stir and released an awakening groan.

"Tenten?" the deep and lazy-sounding voice spoke softly. "You up?" He asked, and Tenten felt him shift as though he was trying to look at her. Her head was still on his shoulder and she couldn't bring herself to leave the comfort of his body, especially with his arm protectively wrapped around her.

"No," she stubbornly answered but reluctantly sat up anyway. "What's going on? Why are you he—oh." Tenten remembered last night. Neji's weight shifted again and she felt his hand on her shoulder. Either it was her imagination or he was taking to touching her a lot more since she lost her sight. She wasn't going to complain though.

"You're hurt," Neji's soothing voice reached Tenten's ears again.

"It's nothing," came Tenten's usual response as her hand reached up and she began to pick the dried blood from her bottom lip. "I'm fine."

In all honesty, Tenten was ashamed of herself for losing it so completely the night before. She had shown another weakness and she felt pitiful for giving in so easily. It was a stupid dream about fear, another trait that Tenten wouldn't tolerate in herself.

Neji knew Tenten and decided not to push the issue. If she really needed him, he just hoped that she would ask for his help. Tenten then began to get out of bed as quickly as possible to try and dissipate the awkward situation that arose from her being asleep next to an apparently topless Neji. Tenten suddenly lurched forward as she tried to remove herself from the bed but had her legs tangled very firmly among the sheet.

Acting on reflexes and a need to protect this girl at all costs, Neji instantly wrapped his arms around her shoulders to stop her, but not before she had very roughly whacked her head on the oak nightstand.

"Ok, OW," Tenten said, as though very angry at that stupid night stand. Her hand rose to her forehead as Neji pulled her back to a balanced seated position. Tenten groaned as she felt the stickiness of blood on her hand.

'Great, just great,' she though. 'I have to go and make a fool of myself, AGAIN.'

She didn't know that Neji didn't think of her as a fool at all. He didn't say a word as he tenderly unwrapped her from the menacing sheet and placed her feet on the ground. Tenten sad still with shame with her head in her hand until his hand on her forearm, lightly tugging her to a stand, made her realize that he had left the bed behind her.

"Come on. We've got to get you cleaned up," he said in a tone that didn't leave room for her stubborn protests. The kunoichi rose to her feet and allowed him to lead her to the bathroom. Once she felt the cold tile of the bathroom floor on her feet, she was lifted momentarily as Neji sat her on the counter beside the sink.

Both of the teens sat in silence as Neji warmed some water and got a washcloth to clean her head with. Tenten forced herself to not wince when she felt some sort of disinfectant against her cut. She wasn't that much of a wuss. Only after Tenten felt a band-aid stuck to her forehead did Neji speak.

"There," he spoke softly. "You've got to be more careful." His statement, for the first time ever, didn't sound like a scold. He was actually warning her to take care of herself. It was almost as if he cared-almost. The next thing he did confused Tenten beyond belief. He placed his hand on her back between her shoulder blades and gently urged her forward until her head rested on his shoulder.

"I told you that I would protect you and I plan on doing that, so just stop resisting it," Neji said as his other arm wrapped around her back. He was hugging her, voluntarily, when she didn't even show that she needed it. Tenten sighed against him and smiled.

"Thank you," she whispered and just enjoyed their closeness and the safety that she felt by his side.

Of course, just as any perfect moment must be destroyed, Neji and Tenten's was destined to be doomed. It was broken by a shout and loud crashes from a nearby part of the main house. Tenten jolted back upright as Neji's entire body tensed.

"Hinata!" he recognized her cries. "Stay here," he directed and took off. Tenten, never one to avoid a fight that her friends might need her in, immediately jumped down off of the counter and took off after the sounds of the scuttle and Neji's footsteps. Her socks slid on the wooden floor as she rounded a corner just in time to hear a familiar, but unwelcome voice speak.

"Then I'll just kill your little girlfriend," the menacing voice that plagued her dreams spoke as a distinct sound that could only be made by a kunai slicing the air filled her eardrums. By only instinct, Tenten's hand flew up and caught her most common weapon of choice. It stayed in her hand for less than a second before she had propelled it back where it came. A quiet tear of on clothes before a dull thud and soft grunt told Tenten that her attack had found its mark. The smell of smoke filled Tenten's nose and she knew that he had disappeared.

"How did you do that?!" Hanabi's surprised voice reached Tenten's ears above the loud blood pumping through her veins. Her still outstretched arm dropped to her side.

"I-I don't even know," Tenten said, shaking her head. "Is everyone ok?"

"Y-yeah. Th-thank you T-Tenten-chan. Thank you N-Neji-san," Hinata's soft voice answered. Neji and Tenten both made a sort of "mmhmm" –ish sound to acknowledge that they were glad to help.

"Neji and I should go, though. Are you ready to go meet your team or will you be staying with your father until we get this all straightened out?" Tenten asked, worried about Hinata's safety.

"S-Shikamaru-kun is actually c-coming t-to get me this m-morning," Hinata answered meekly. Neji was going to ask questions but a rough jab in the ribs from Tenten's elbow was enough to silence him.

"Hey, Hinata-sama, before you go. Did they say what they wanted?" Neji inquired.

"Um y-yeah. They kept talking about my eyes. I t-think they w-were after t-the b-bloodline," Hinata answered and simultaneously Neji and Tenten put together the pieces.

"The ninja who attacked you wasn't after you, Tenten, he was after—" Neji started.

"Hinata's Byakugan. They must have heard when you—" Tenten added.

"Called you Hinata in my room, yesterday. They aren't too bright then, so how do they keep getting away?" Neji finished. His inquiry was left unanswered as a new voice joined the conversation.

"Ok, this whole finish-each other's-sentences thing might seem cute, but it's troublesome," the Nara's annoyed voice spoke. "Hinata, we have to go, but is everything alright?" Hinata must have nodded, because Tenten heard no verbal response.

"I-I'll tell you on t-the way, S-Shikamaru-k-kun," Hinata said as she began to leave, eager to leave Tenten and Neji to themselves. "Bye," she whispered before departing. Shikamaru grunted a goodbye too before leaving. Tenten walked straight ahead and felt along the wall that she reached until she found her kunai, and dislodged it from the wall.

Neji was again at Tenten's side as they walked back to their rooms to change for training. Even blind, Tenten refused to miss practice. The pair met up again, fully dressed and walked to practice in comfortable silence. To guide her, and 'only' guide her (yeah right), Neji put an arm around Tenten's waist once they were walking through the busy town. As they passed Sakura and Sasuke holding hands, Sakura began muttering to Sasuke.

"Did you see that?!" she eagerly said about Neji's physical contact to Tenten.

"Sure. They together?" He asked. Yes, making conversation when it was possible to just "hn" at her. Yeah, Sakura definitely changed him.

"Who knows," Sakura said quietly. Meanwhile, inner Sakura was jumping up and down. 'FINALLY! Took him long enough to make a move. GO TENTEN!' –insert thumbs up here-.

---At the Training grounds---

Eager to make Tenten feel as normal as possible, Neji pushed her as hard as ever. Feeding off her other, more acute since the accident, senses, Neji was having her throw weapons at targets with little bells attached to them. The light breeze was enough to let the tiny bells make a miniscule noise that sounded like a high-pitched whisper. Tenten was hesitant about throwing weapons into a forest full of people training without a clue where they were headed but not wanting to seem inept, she did as she was told and let the shuriken fly.

After hearing all of them hit some sort of mark, Tenten hesitantly asked if she had hit anybody. Neji had a flash of mean in him and simply groaned in pain.

"Oh my God! Neji! I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" the worried kunoichi exclaimed as she turned in the general direction of the sound of his voice. At that time, Naruto's team appeared from the next clearing over.

"Tenten! He so GOT YOU!" Naruto exclaimed. "NICE ONE!" He managed to finish his whole sentence before both Sasuke and Sakura knocked him over the head for being unnecessarily loud and intrusive.

"Neji…." Tenten's menacing voice filled the ears of everybody around her. "You're going to wish you actually got hit by the time I'm done with you…" she growled and went to take off after him, but stumbled after a few steps and fell to the ground. "oww…" she whimpered. Neji was immediately at her side.

"Tenten. You can't be doing things like--" he reprimanded her before he was cut off by a swift flick to the forehead. Hyuuga Neji had just been ownd. He blinked once, very hard, realizing that he had just been, yes, flicked.

"You made every target, Tenten-chan," Sakura commented as she approached her friend. "How do you do that?"

"I really don't know. Half the time, my target, Lee, is moving so fast that I can't see him anyway," Tenten said as she quickly jumped to her feet. "I guess I just—woah…" Tenten began to sway on the spot as black spots crept into her line of vision. She pressed her hand to her eyes to try and clear them.

"Tenten, trying the same thing twice in the same 2 minutes? Not very intelligent," Neji said stubbornly. Tenten pulled her hand away from her eyes and opened them to complete blackness before her knees gave out and she fell back to the earth.


	4. Chapter 4

Well everyone, revisions and all, this is the last chapter. I know the old version was up to chapter 6 or something and still not done, but the new version has longer chapters and a plot that sucks a lot less so I'm sorry if anybody preferred the old version…it's scrapped.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Neji wouldn't be such an ass.

--

Neji immediately slid under Tenten's falling body to catch her dead weight. One look at the pained expression gracing her features and he knew this was no joke.

--In Tenten's Mind—

"_Your boy toy lied about who you are so now, you'll die," a familiar evil ninja said. He shoved her against the full grown oak tree that sprouted from the ground behind her. "I always get my mark. But, you, yes, you'll suffer first." _

_Tenten seemed to be stuck to the rough tree bark by his sheer will to keep her there. He backed away with one arm still outstretched towards her. When he jerked his hand towards him, Tenten felt the chakra strings cut her with the stinging pain of a hundred deep paper cuts. The man made a few hand signs and a small flame crept down the connecting string towards Tenten's body, growing as it went. He let it lick at a spot of Tenten's skin as she shrieked in pain before he put it out. _

--At the Training Grounds—

"Tenten!" Neji called for his teammate above her piercing screams. "Sakura! Do something!" Neji's voice was almost pleading. Sakura was already trying to heal her.

"It won't work! It's in her head so I can't heal her until she wakes up," Sakura deducted as her chakra had no effect on the bleeding and burned skin that was a perfect image of health just a minute earlier. Neji began shaking Tenten's shoulders.

"Tenten! Can you ear me? Wake up damnit!" Neji cried as Tenten's face twisted into more pain.

--Back in Tenten's Head—

_Tenten could hear Neji's distant whisper getting louder. She wanted to go back to him and tell him that she was alright, but she was currently being beaten senseless and she was paralyzed. The other ninja was getting angry. He wasn't finished with her and couldn't have anybody pulling her out of the mental state he put her in. The enemy suddenly looked sideways as though somebody was calling his own name. _

"_You're lucky, you little bitch," he sneered at her, releasing the strings but catching her by the collar of her shirt to keep her upright. He cut a single line along her throat with a kunai. _

"_Just think of what I've done to you as a virus, and I'm your only antidote. I'll keep coming back for you until there's nothing left," he growled before he released her and disappeared. _

--In the real world—

Tenten opened her eyes and immediately began coughing and choking as her mouth filled with her own blood. She struggled to spit it out fast enough but more kept taking its place. Tenten hated the taste of blood. It was always a sickening temperature of warm but the metallic taste reminded her of something that should feel cold. She was beginning to feel lightheaded. She couldn't breathe.

"Neji, Move! She's drowning in her own blood!" Sakura's voice registered faintly in Tenten's mind. She felt a comforting warmth spreading through her chilled body as another person's chakra forced her panicking energy away from her wounds to heal them. Tenten felt the putrid liquid stop filling into her mouth. She gasped and found air. Her chest relaxed as her lungs filled with oxygen.

"Thank…you," her raspy voice spoke to Sakura. Tenten's eyes shot open with worry as she suddenly knew where the enemy had taken off to.

"Neji?" she questioned, straining her ears to even hear his breathing. He put his hand on her back to comfort her.

"Yes?" He answered quietly, still shaken at her battered form. He was filled with rage but for her, he only felt love.

"It's Hinata…you have to…" She was forcing her words out, but thankfully that was all she had to say before Neji understood.

"Take her to a hospital and make sure she's ok," Neji instructed about Tenten before taking her by her shoulders, kissing her on the top of her head and taking off in search of his cousin.

"Where is he going?" Naruto asked.

"To save his cousin," Tenten offered no more explanation but closed her eyes as her healing continued.

--With Neji—

'Where the hell is she?!' Neji's mind screamed as Byakugan-activated eyes raked through the entire forest. Neji spotted the fight before he found Hinata in its center. She was in a large clearing and fighting against four ninjas: 3 men and one woman. Neji sped up.

Shikamaru was nearby, trying to do anything to get them off of her but in the middle of the sun-baked day with the sun's rays creeping in from every direction, there were virtually no shadows-anywhere. Even if he did have a way to use his technique, it would have been hard to get in. Nobody was concerned with him; the ninjas came for one reason-Hinata.

Neji immediately joined the fight. His white eyes apparently were his ticket to getting some attention.

--Back with Tenten—(These scene switches are getting annoying, aren't they?!)

"If you take it easy, you should be fine, but I think we should take you to a hospital anyway, like Neji said," Sakura informed Tenten. She was exhausted from having rerouted Tenten's blood back into her veins and having split some of Tenten's blood cells to replenish the masses of lost blood that had poured from Tenten in such a short span of time.

"So I'm good to go?" Tenten asked.

"Yeah, I guess—wait, go where?!" Sakura tried but Tenten was already gone. She rose to go after her, but Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder to keep her down.

"Take it easy. Naruto, go after her before she gets herself killed," Sasuke instructed. Naruto didn't even argue about being bossed around. He just nodded and was gone.

Tenten had found a way to move through these forests. She knew them her whole life and as long as she could place her hands upon the trunks of the trees that she passed, she knew which they were and where to go. She could almost see out of the other ninja's eyes. It was as though he had created a connection with her by taking her sight. He was literally a virus that was infecting her.

Apparently, he could feel her intrusion in his mind and was pushing back. Tenten's head felt like it was splitting open with pain, but through his eyes, she saw Neji and Hinata struggling against the four around them. Even the most powerful had his limit. Besides, without her there, who would cover his blind spot?

She reached the clearing and her only source of shadowed vision, his eyes, was cut off. She was in battle now, though, and wouldn't need anybody else's eyes. Tenten's hands flew to her weapons as her ears picked up every little footstep. She was still nervous about hitting a friend. Hearing Neji's grunt from getting hit was enough to shatter her fear. He needed her and she just had to trust herself.

Tenten took two kunai, one in each hand and pulled her hands by her ears. She thrust the two weapons out at an angle so they met at the same point, in the back of the head of the man restraining Neji. The body fell and Neji's line of vision connected with Tenten. His eyes went wide with worry about her. Now that she had taken out one of their own, the other three would not underestimate her again. He was lucky. She didn't need the protection he thought she would.

Her personal tormentor picked her out. He was ready to take out his anger on her without mind games and she was ready to tell him exactly where he could shove his overly egotistical attitude. He grabbed her wrist and she could feel the heat from the electrical sparks that had taken her sight.

"Don't look at their hands!" Tenten warned. "If they get those sparks too close to your eyes, they'll take your sight and infect you!" She only hoped that the others would trust her and not ask questions just yet.

"TENTEN! What are you doing?!" Naruto exclaimed as he arrived. Tenten didn't even hear him. All she heard was the person she was fighting. She had to concentrate to know where he was at all times. She recognized the sound of a katana as wind fluttered past her in the wake of the swinging blade.

"Fighting me in my own element? Bad mistake," Tenten smirked a grin that she had learned from Neji. She'd have to thank him later, but make sure he never used it on her again. She slashed at him with her katana and felt her entire arm jerk with the force of her stopped weapon against his. Had she been able to see, she would have seen sparks from the weapons sliding against each other.

Naruto had taken one of the men for himself and was just releasing nonstop attacks upon the poor man. When Naruto got into his battles, he was really unstoppable. Neji had gotten close enough to the woman to release jyuuken upon her. She never had a chance. Shikamaru was now protecting the exhausted Hinata who had fought off all four of them with weapons and slowly backing him into the trees where he would be able to use the shadows.

The man against Tenten was beginning to falter. She was relying on her other instincts by pure trust and moving only on instinct. She had felt his tactics before and she had been inside his mind. That was enough for her to just do whatever came naturally. Because she had no idea what she was going to do until she did it, he had absolutely no forewarning and was finding himself blocking less and less of her attacks. She swung out a leg under him as he lodged a kunai in her left shoulder. He fell to the ground and her blade sliced along his throat much like his did to hers back in her mind such a short while ago.

His breaths were short and smothered. Since he was down, Tenten finally heard the silence of the rest of the clearing and realized that he others had taken down their enemies. Shikamaru's was sufficiently strangled by his own shadow; the woman Neji was fighting had her entire body shut down by being poked to death and Naruto's had taken an ransengan to the heart.

"I will come back for you," Tenten's opponent swore through a gurgling breath. He began coughing and choking and Tenten knew the discomfort. She took pity on him. Death came quickly.

Tenten's knees buckled as she stumbled back and clutched a tree for support. She closed her eyes tightly in intense pain and held her hands to her head. Neji ran over to her and she finally forced her eyes open. She blinked a few times.

"I…I can SEE!" She exclaimed as she looked right into Neji's eyes before her, unbelieving that she was finally able to look at him again. Neji stared in disbelief before turning around to see the bloodied clearing with the four dead and mangled bodies.

"It's a shame that this sight is what you have to see after getting your sight back," he commented honestly. Tenten placed her hands on his face and turned his head so he was looking back at her.

"I couldn't have wished to see anybody else," Tenten whispered before leaning towards him and kissing him. Sakura and Sasuke had arrived just in time to see this.

"Oh…oh my," Hinata stuttered before blushing and firmly looking away.

Naruto was having a mini celebration in his head, 'We won! I kicked butt! I will be Hokag—woah. Did Tenten just really kiss Neji?' His jaw dropped as he stared in disbelief.

Shikamaru muttered something along the lines of "Troublesome" and "It's about time." Before worrying more about Hinata and her well being.

Inner Sakura was jumping up and down and throwing confetti everywhere. Even in her own little world, Sakura was sure that there would be mental confetti everywhere for a very long time. In a few years, she'd be doing some inner searching and find little mountains of the colored stuff.

Sasuke just muttered "whatever."

Tenten pulled back and smiled at Neji, swearing she was the happiest girl alive. Neji was ironically swearing that he was the luckiest guy alive. Tenten frowned.

"Hey, Neji. What ever happened to that guy we were supposed to protect on that mission we got assigned before I lost my sight?" She finally remembered the man.

--Elsewhere in the middle of NOWHERE—

Lee and another person are walking. Well, the other person is walking. Lee is running and jumping and skipping and…well you get it.

"I PROMISE I WILL PROTECT YOU OR I WILL DO 1000 PUSHUPS AND 1000 SITUPS AND RUN 1000 LAPS AROUND KONOHA AND—" Lee was exclaiming.

"I'm going to go CRAZY!!!" The other person screamed.

Everyone sweat dropped.

---

I'm kind of sad that it's all over but it is. I'd like to extend a special thanks to all of my friends and my loyal readers and reviewers. Thanks for sticking with me even though I never updated and then when I finally did, I just rewrote it. I hope you enjoyed.

I would like to extend another thanks to the Grimlocks from of Charmed who served as inspiration for my enemy ninjas and their powers.

Lots of Love

Tenten


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